User manual

2 Performax Printers Trouble Shooting How do I fix false paper and carriage jams on
Performax prin 18
How do I fix false paper and carriage jams on Performax printers? Answer
 Paper Jams
False paper jams on Performax units come from the mechanical switch located in the left
tractor. One possible fix is to very slightly bend the metal tab of the switch out to make
better contact with the paper. Otherwise the switch will need to be replaced.
 Carriage Jams
Carriage jam is a general error code which encompassess a number of possible problems.
The first possibility is an obstruction of carriage movement, caused by a jammed form or
the carriage belt (figure 1) rubbing on the top or bottom of the crown roller (figure 2).
Dirty carriage rails can also cause this type of error. The carriage rails are to be cleaned
with alcohol, do not use lubrication.
Troubleshooting
NO CARRIAGE MOVEMENT
If there is no carriage movement, even when the unit is initially powered up, the problem
is likely a defective main controller. This failure can also be caused by one of the carriage
motor wires (figure 4) being disconnected.
UNIT PRINTS IN ONE DIRECTION AND DRAGS IN OPPOSITE DIRECTION
This failure would be suspected in an old or very dirty machine. The cause is a defective
carriage motor filter (figure 5).
UNIT STOPS PRINTING AT THE SAME COLUMN ON THE LINE
If the carriage motor has a bad spot it will cause the unit to fail repeatedly at the same
spot on the line. Change the carriage motor to correct this failure (figure 3). This type
failure would only occur in a machine that is at least 3 to 4 years old and in heavy
service.
ERROR AFTER INITIAL MOVEMENT
This failure starts with initial carriage movement on power up, followed immediately by
carriage jam being displayed in the LCD. To debug this type of jam, observe the encoder
strip (figure 6) under the smoked cover. The encoder strip should be floating in the notch
under the encoder reader (figure 8). If the strip is outside the reader, move it back into
position and continue. No further action should be required.
If the strip is in place and the error continues, check the encoder reader. It is part of the
encoder cable assembly. The four wires shown in figure 9 connect to the main logic
board through various cables. The connection between the encoder and the main logic
board is the key to solving this type of carriage jam.